The Supreme Court Monday fixed April 19 for hearing a bunch of petitions challenging a Delhi High Court judgement decriminalising homosexual relationship among consenting adults.
Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly directed all the parties to file their documents within eight weeks.
The bench also directed the court registry to complete all procedural requirements.
The court said that it was fixing two days for hearing the matter and might consider extending the same depending on the nature and extent of the arguments.
The judges said all the petitioners would get time to present their views.
They rejected a plea by one of the petitioners to implead the armed forces in the case.
In a landmark judgement July 2, 2009, the Delhi High Court ruled that section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises gay sex among consenting adults, was a violation of fundamental rights.
That ruling followed a public interest litigation filed by NGO Naz Foundation along the activist group ‘Voices Against 377’.
The high court ruled that any kind of discrimination violated the right to equality.
Section 377 in the Indian Penal Code outlaws any act against the order of nature. It recommends jail term of up to 10 years for violators along with fine.
Gay activists say police misuse the section to harass them
